Improvement in sweat-bands for hats



UNITED STATES ATENT FFIG'E.

JAMES W. COREY AND HENRY CHARMBURY, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

I IM PROVEMENT l N SWEAT-BANDS FOR HATS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 209,865, dated November12, 1878; application filed November 8, 1878.

To all wkomjt may concern:

Be it known that we, J. W. COREY and HENRY CHARMBURY, of Newark, county of Essex, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful" Improvements in Sweat-Bands for Hats, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is an inner-side plan and sectional view of a portion of a sweatband having a liningstrip secured to it by a line of stitches uniting the two at the edges.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the same when its upper edge is turned over. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a finished sweat-band. Fig. 4. is a sectional view, illustrating the sweatband attached in place within the head-open:

ing of a hat. Fig. 5 is a perspective View of ahat as seen from the under side, showing the sweat-band secured in place. Figs. 6 and 7 show modifications, and Fig. 8 a detail of construction.

The sweat-bands of hats are usually formed of a single strip of leather, enameled cloth, or water-repellent material, and are most commonly secured in place within the head-opening of a hat by stitching the outer edge thereof to the hat-body at thejuncture of thebrim and crown. This mode of securing sweatbands to hats is generally carried out by hand labor, which renders the same costly, as it not only requires skilled manipulation, but involves a considerable amount of time, and

whether accomplished by hand-sewing or by the aid of a machine, as is the case in some qualities of hats, the finished product presents a seam connecting the sweat-band to the hat-body, which not only has an unsightly appearance, but provides innumerable perforations through both the sweatband and hat-body, which afford as many ducts or channels for conveying the dampness resulting from perspiration directly into the body of the hat, through which it readily penetrates to the exterior surface, and, becoming united with dust, soon defaces and destroys the article. The many defects of this mode of securing sweats in hats have long been appreciated by both the manufacturer and consumer, and much in genuity has been expended in attempts to obviate them. Thus, linings of I tin-foil and other water-proof materials have been interposed between the sweat-band and the hat-body, the sweat bauds have been made wholly of water-proof material, and'have been set a distance away from the body, which expedients have either failed to overcome the radical defects of the older mode of securing the sweats, or have produced other defects equally objectionable. 1

One mode has, however, been considerably practiced which has met with favor, and to some extent proven successful. This consisted in introducing a small reed into a pocket formed by overlapping the outer edge of the sweat-band, which reed, thus inclosed, formed a stretcher, which held the said outer edge of the sweat-band down snugly upon'the corner formed at the juncture of the brim and body. Such a distending-reed has also been confined at the edge of a strip of material which is united to the edge of the sweat-band at a point close to the reed by a sewed seam, the strip containing it thus providing a liningstrip, by which the whole may be secured to the hat-body. These structures have, however, three defects: they increase the thickness of the band considerablyat the most exposed part of it, they add greatly to its cost, and they contain a quantity of stitch-perforations, which conduct the perspiration directly to the hat-body.

The object of my improvement is to provide a sweat-band which, while it has no perforations through it which would conduct sweat to the hat-body, shall be so constructed that its outer edge will nicelyfit the corner of the head-opening, and not expose any unsightly means of securing it in place and my improvement consists, primarily, in forming sweatbands for. hats with an outer edge that is turned or lapped over and stiffened with hatters varnish, or some equivalent thereof, and so curved or bent as to form an outwardlyturned flange that shall overlie and snugly fit the edge or corner of the head-opening in the hat formed by the junction of the crown and brim.

It further consists in combining with such a sweat-band a lining-strip charged with hat 3 ters varnish,and united to the same, whereby the outer edge of the sweat-band may be curved or bent, and set to form an outwardlyturned flange, which lining-strip also affords a means for attaching the sweat-band to the body of the hat.

The invention also includes a particular structure of the sweat-band, all of which will be more fully understood by the following extended description thereof.

In carrying out this invention I prefer to construct the sweat-band as is particularly illustrated by the drawings, thus: taking a narrow band, 2, of leather, enameled cloth, or similar suitable material adapted to the pur pose. I attach to it, on its inner or wrong side, anarrow lining-strip, 3, which has been charged or coated with batters varnish or some equivalent material, the said parts being united together at their upper edges by a stitched seam, 4. The upper edge of the united band or strip is then turned inwardly upon itself, so as to form a double edge, consisting of four plies, as is seen in Fig. 2. This doubled edge is then pressed in suitable heated molds or dies, which swage, press, or bend the same into the shape shown in Fig. 3, the effect of the heat and pressure causing the hatters varnish in the lining-strip to adhere to the band 2 and to itself at all points of contact, whereby is formed an overhanging curved flange, 7, which will retain its shape by reason of the setting of the hatters varnish, as is wellunderstood by hatters. This doubled edge or flange 7 thus firmly embraces the lining-strip, 3, which depends there-. from, and may constitute a means for fastening the sweat-band in place, as will be presently explainec The lower edge of the band 2 may be turned over to form the hem 1, if it is desired to have thatedge finished, and this hem may be secured by sewing or by cement.

It is to be understood that the mold or die which shapes the doubled edge or flange 7, so that it shall turn outwardly and properly fit over the edge of the head-opening, also gives to said flange the boat form or other curve, which a hat drooping at the front and rear has at the juncture of its crown and rim.

A sweat-band thus constructed, out to the proper dimensions to fit within the head-opening of a hat when placed therein, may be secured by any suitable cement, uniting its lining-strip 8 to the inside of the crown; or said lining-strip may be fastened to the crown by sewing.

A sweat-band thus constructed will perfect- 1 y fit within the head-opening of a hat, and its outer edge will extend over the corner or edge at the juncture of the crown and brim, slightly overlapping the latter, as in Figs. 4 and 5; and such a sweat-band will not expose at any point of its contact with the head of the wearer any perforation through which perspiration may pass to the body of the hat to injure the same.

Such a sweat-band is susceptible of great rapidity and cheapness of manufacture, and may be attached in place with the utmost c011- venience, and without the making of any costly seam or requiring the use of machinery.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the lining-strip 3, though highly advantageous, is not essential to the production of a sweat-band embracing the beneficial qualities of my invention, since if a simple band, as 2, has its upper edges coated on the inner side with hatters varnish, as 5, and is then turned over and pressed or swaged to form the flange 7, as before explained, it might be placed in a hat, and secured there by means of stitches or cement applied near its inner edge to secure it to the crown of the hat.

The lining-strip may be a piece of simple muslin or other textile material, and have a coating of hatters varnish between itself and the band 2, as at 5, which coating will extend a distance from the upper edge of the band 2 which is equal to the width of that part of the band that is to be turned over to form the flange 7. So, too, the exterior surface of thelining-strip 3 may have the varnish similarly applied to it, as at 6; or both the coatings of varnish 5 and 6 may be applied.

And, furthermore, it is obvious that the band 2 and lining-strip 3 need not have the unitingseam 4:, but depend for their union upon the cement applied to one or the other or between them; and for fine hats, where an undue thickness of the flange would be objectionable, the said lining-strip need only extend within the doubled plies of the flange 7, as in Figs. 6 and 7; and in some cases the charged lining-strip, either double or single, may only have an extent equal to the width of the flange 7.

The ends of such a sweat-band may be cut evenly, and be sewed together in the ordinary way; but in order to provide them with a joint or seam which shall lie flat and be a firm and strong one, I extend the lining-strip 3 on one of the meeting ends, to provide an extended tongue, 9, which tongue will, when the two ends. of the sweat-band are brought together or meet, be entered underneath the outer end, 8, of said band 3, or lap over the same, and the parts may then be permanently connected by cementing or sewing the tongue 9 to the end 8, and thus form a flat joint with a smooth face. This latter feature of the invention is, of course, applicable to all sweat-bands having the lining-strip 3.

Having thus described our invention and pointed out the merits it possesses, what we claim is- 1. An improved sweat-band for hats, consisting of a strip or band of leather, enameled. cloth, or similar suitable material, having its I outer edge stiffened with batters varnish or similar material, turned over and curved or bent, and set to form an outwardly-turned flange, substantially as described. y

2. A sweat-band consisting of strip or band of leather, enameled cloth, or similar suitable material, and a lining-strip charged with hatters varnish or similar material, the upper edge of the former being turned over to embrace the latter, and thus form a doubled outer edge, which edge is curved or bent, and set to form an outwardly-turned flange, substantially as described.

3. The band2 and strip 3, united by a seam, 4, and having their upper edges charged with batters varnish, and curved or bent to form the outwardly-turned flange 7, substantially as described.

4. A sweat-band for hats, consisting of the band 2 and lining-strip 3, the latter having an In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specificationin the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

J. W. COREY.

HENRY CHARMBURY,

Witnesses H. T. MUNSON, GEO. H. GRAHAM. 

